Text: HF00443                           Text: HF00445
Text: HF00400 - HF00499                 Text: HF Index
Bills and Amendments: General Index     Bill History: General Index



House File 444

Partial Bill History

Bill Text

PAG LIN
  1  1    Section 1.  Section 509.3, Code 2003, is amended by adding
  1  2 the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  8.  a.  A provision under policies,
  1  4 contracts, or plans with group health benefit coverages
  1  5 permitting the policyholder to renew the coverage in one-month
  1  6 increments, for up to two months, at a pro rata premium rate
  1  7 that is proportional to the full policy term.
  1  8    b.  For purposes of this subsection, "policies, contracts,
  1  9 or plans with group health benefit coverages" includes all of
  1 10 the following:
  1 11    (1)  A group policy of accident or health insurance issued
  1 12 pursuant to this chapter.
  1 13    (2)  A group contract of a nonprofit health service
  1 14 corporation issued pursuant to chapter 514.
  1 15    (3)  A group contract of a health maintenance organization
  1 16 issued pursuant to chapter 514B.
  1 17    (4)  A group contract relating to care furnished by an
  1 18 organized delivery system authorized under 1993 Iowa Acts,
  1 19 chapter 158, licensed by the director of public health.
  1 20    (5)  Group health benefits provided pursuant to a multiple
  1 21 employer welfare arrangement, as defined in section 3 of the
  1 22 federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29
  1 23 U.S.C. } 1002, paragraph 40, that meets the requirements of
  1 24 section 507A.4, subsection 9, paragraph "a".
  1 25    (6)  A plan for public employees established pursuant to
  1 26 chapter 509A.
  1 27    (7)  An association group policy issued under section
  1 28 509.14.
  1 29    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  509.20  NOTICE OF RATE INCREASE.
  1 30    1.  For purposes of this section, "policy or contract for
  1 31 group health benefit coverages, including a contract to
  1 32 provide services to a plan providing group health benefit
  1 33 coverages" applies to all of the following:
  1 34    a.  A group policy of health insurance under this chapter.
  1 35    b.  A plan established pursuant to chapter 509A for public
  2  1 employees.
  2  2    c.  A plan offered pursuant to chapter 513B.
  2  3    d.  A group contract of a nonprofit health service
  2  4 corporation under chapter 514.
  2  5    e.  A group plan of a health maintenance organization under
  2  6 chapter 514B.
  2  7    f.  An organized delivery system authorized under 1993 Iowa
  2  8 Acts, chapter 158, and licensed by the director of public
  2  9 health.
  2 10    g.  Preferred provider contracts limiting choice of
  2 11 specific provider.
  2 12    h.  Any other policy, contract, or plan for covering the
  2 13 health care costs of a defined group.
  2 14    2.  A person who issues a policy or contract for group
  2 15 health benefit coverages, including a contract to provide
  2 16 services to a plan providing group health benefit coverages to
  2 17 a group, shall provide notice of a rate increase for the
  2 18 policy or contract at least forty-five days prior to the
  2 19 effective date of the rate increase to the policyholder,
  2 20 contract holder, or sponsor of the group health benefit plan.
  2 21    Sec. 3.  Section 514.6, Code 2003, is amended to read as
  2 22 follows:
  2 23    514.6  RATES – APPROVAL BY COMMISSIONER – NOTICE OF
  2 24 INCREASE.
  2 25    1.  The rates charged by any such corporation to the
  2 26 subscribers for health care service shall at all times be
  2 27 subject to the approval of the commissioner of insurance.
  2 28    2.  A corporation offering health care services to
  2 29 subscribers pursuant to this chapter shall provide notice of a
  2 30 rate increase to subscribers at least forty-five days prior to
  2 31 the effective date of the rate increase.
  2 32    Sec. 4.  Section 514.7, Code 2003, is amended to read as
  2 33 follows:
  2 34    514.7  CONTRACTS – APPROVAL BY COMMISSIONER – PROVISIONS
  2 35 TO BE AVAILABLE.
  3  1    1.  The contracts by any such corporation with the
  3  2 subscribers for health care service shall at all times be
  3  3 subject to the approval of the commissioner of insurance.  The
  3  4 commissioner shall require that participating pharmacies be
  3  5 reimbursed by the pharmaceutical service corporation at rates
  3  6 or prices equal to rates or prices charged nonsubscribers,
  3  7 unless the commissioner determines otherwise to prevent loss
  3  8 to subscribers.
  3  9    2.  a.  A provision shall be available in approved
  3 10 contracts with hospital and medical service corporate
  3 11 subscribers under group subscriber contracts or plans covering
  3 12 vision care services or procedures, for payment of necessary
  3 13 medical or surgical care and treatment provided by an
  3 14 optometrist licensed under chapter 154, if the care and
  3 15 treatment are provided within the scope of the optometrist's
  3 16 license and if the subscriber contract would pay for the care
  3 17 and treatment if it were provided by a person engaged in the
  3 18 practice of medicine or surgery as licensed under chapter 148
  3 19 or 150A.
  3 20    b.  The subscriber contract shall also provide that the
  3 21 subscriber may reject the coverage or provision if the
  3 22 coverage or provision for services which may be provided by an
  3 23 optometrist is rejected for all providers of similar vision
  3 24 care services as licensed under chapter 148, 150A, or 154.
  3 25    c.  This paragraph subsection applies to group subscriber
  3 26 contracts delivered after July 1, 1983, and to group
  3 27 subscriber contracts on their anniversary or renewal date, or
  3 28 upon the expiration of the applicable collective bargaining
  3 29 contract, if any, whichever is the later.
  3 30    d.  This paragraph subsection does not apply to contracts
  3 31 designed only for issuance to subscribers eligible for
  3 32 coverage under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, or any
  3 33 other similar coverage under a state or federal government
  3 34 plan.
  3 35    3.  a.  A provision shall be made available in approved
  4  1 contracts with hospital and medical subscribers under group
  4  2 subscriber contracts or plans covering diagnosis and treatment
  4  3 of human ailments, for payment or reimbursement for necessary
  4  4 diagnosis or treatment provided by a chiropractor licensed
  4  5 under chapter 151 if the diagnosis or treatment is provided
  4  6 within the scope of the chiropractor's license and if the
  4  7 subscriber contract would pay or reimburse for the diagnosis
  4  8 or treatment of the human ailments, irrespective of and
  4  9 disregarding variances in terminology employed by the various
  4 10 licensed professions in describing the human ailments or their
  4 11 diagnosis or treatment, if it were provided by a person
  4 12 licensed under chapter 148, 150, or 150A.
  4 13    b.  The subscriber contract shall also provide that the
  4 14 subscriber may reject the coverage or provision if the
  4 15 coverage or provision for diagnosis or treatment of a human
  4 16 ailment by a chiropractor is rejected for all providers of
  4 17 diagnosis or treatment for similar human ailments licensed
  4 18 under chapter 148, 150, 150A, or 151.
  4 19    c.  A group subscriber contract may limit or make optional
  4 20 the payment or reimbursement for lawful diagnostic or
  4 21 treatment service by all licensees under chapters 148, 150,
  4 22 150A, and 151 on any rational basis which is not solely
  4 23 related to the license under or the practices authorized by
  4 24 chapter 151 or is not dependent upon a method of
  4 25 classification, categorization, or description based upon
  4 26 differences in terminology used by different licensees in
  4 27 describing human ailments or their diagnosis or treatment.
  4 28    d.  This paragraph subsection applies to group subscriber
  4 29 contracts delivered after July 1, 1986, and to group
  4 30 subscriber contracts on their anniversary or renewal date, or
  4 31 upon the expiration of the applicable collective bargaining
  4 32 contract, if any, whichever is the later.
  4 33    e.  This paragraph subsection does not apply to contracts
  4 34 designed only for issuance to subscribers eligible for
  4 35 coverage under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, or any
  5  1 other similar coverage under a state or federal government
  5  2 plan.
  5  3    4.  a.  A provision shall be available in approved
  5  4 contracts with hospital and medical service corporate
  5  5 subscribers under group subscriber contracts or plans covering
  5  6 medical and surgical service, for payment of covered services
  5  7 determined to be medically necessary provided by certified
  5  8 registered nurses certified by a national certifying
  5  9 organization, which organization shall be identified by the
  5 10 Iowa board of nursing pursuant to rules adopted by the board,
  5 11 if the services are within the practice of the profession of a
  5 12 registered nurse as that practice is defined in section 152.1,
  5 13 under terms and conditions agreed upon between the corporation
  5 14 and subscriber group, subject to utilization controls.
  5 15    b.  This paragraph subsection shall not require payment for
  5 16 nursing services provided by a certified registered nurse
  5 17 practicing in a hospital, nursing facility, health care
  5 18 institution, a physician's office, or other noninstitutional
  5 19 setting if the certified registered nurse is an employee of
  5 20 the hospital, nursing facility, health care institution,
  5 21 physician, or other health care facility or health care
  5 22 provider.
  5 23    c.  This paragraph subsection applies to group subscriber
  5 24 contracts delivered in this state on or after July 1, 1989,
  5 25 and to group subscriber contracts on their anniversary or
  5 26 renewal date, or upon the expiration of the applicable
  5 27 collective bargaining contract, if any, whichever is the
  5 28 later.
  5 29    d.  This paragraph subsection does not apply to limited or
  5 30 specified disease or individual contracts or contracts
  5 31 designed only for issuance to subscribers eligible for
  5 32 coverage under Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act,
  5 33 contracts which that are rated on a community basis, or any
  5 34 other similar coverage under a state or federal government
  5 35 plan.
  6  1    5.  The commissioner shall require a provision permitting
  6  2 the policyholder to renew the coverage in one-month
  6  3 increments, for up to two months, at a pro rata premium rate
  6  4 that is proportional to the full policy term.  
  6  5                           EXPLANATION
  6  6    This bill amends various Code chapters dealing with group
  6  7 health insurance, to require a 45-day notice of rate increases
  6  8 in premiums, and to permit a policyholder to renew the
  6  9 coverage in one-month increments, for up to two months, at pro
  6 10 rata rates compared to the premiums for the full policy term.
  6 11    The bill adds new Code section 509.20 to require such
  6 12 notice for group health insurance policies, contracts, and
  6 13 plans.  Code section 514.6 addresses coverage provided by a
  6 14 nonprofit health service corporation.
  6 15    The bill adds a new subsection to Code section 509.3 to
  6 16 require a provision for policyholder renewability for up to
  6 17 two months for group health insurance policies, contracts, and
  6 18 plans.  A new subsection in Code section 514.7 addresses the
  6 19 renewability requirements with respect to coverage provided by
  6 20 a nonprofit health service corporation.  The bill also divides
  6 21 existing Code language into subsections and paragraphs, and
  6 22 makes appropriate internal language changes.  
  6 23 LSB 1977HH 80
  6 24 jj/cf/24.1
     

Text: HF00443                           Text: HF00445
Text: HF00400 - HF00499                 Text: HF Index
Bills and Amendments: General Index     Bill History: General Index

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